Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

Appeal for donations

For the international support of conscientious objectors and deserters

(25.11.2021) We want to continue to support people who decide to oppose war or refuse military service. Our work currently supports conscientious objectors,  from countries such as Eritrea, Israel, Ukraine, Syria and Turkey where they are threatened with repression and persecution. They need our support. For this work, we ask for your donation. We are happy about any support at https://en.Connection-eV.org/donation.

Thanks a lot. Your team from Connection e.V.

Council of Europe to call on Turkey to immediately implement the ECtHR’ s rulings on conscientious objection

(05.11.2021) In response to a so-called action plan by the Turkish government, theAssociation for Conscientious Objection, based in Istanbul, Turkey,  together with a number of other organisations, submitted a statement to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on Wednesday to "request the Turkish government to take legislative measures without delay to recognize the right to conscientious objection to military service." (...more)

Turkey: Conscientious Objection Association publishes significant report on the situation of conscientious objectors

(06.07.2021) Yesterday the Istanbul-based Association for Conscientious Objection (Vicdani Ret Dernği) published a comprehensive report on the situation of conscientious objectors in Turkey. "The report," the association said in its press release, "details the rights violations and juridical processes conscientious objectors in Turkey are experiencing." Turkey, which is a member of NATO, has compulsory military service, usually lasting six months, and does not recognise conscientious objection. The English version of the report can be downloaded at https://en.connection-ev.org/pdfs/expert-opinion-turkey-2021.pdf.

Conscientious Objection in Turkey

Quadrilingual publication to International Day of Conscientious Objection 2021

(15.05.2021) In Turkey, the first conscientious objectors publicly declared their objections in the early 1990s and stood up against war, the military and compulsory service. In the meantime, far more than 1,000 conscripts have declared their conscientious objections. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands have evaded military service, using other ways or hiding. Faced with prosecution, several hundred have sought asylum abroad. By now Turkey is the only member state in the Council of Europe that has not recognised the right to conscientious objection to military service.

This booklet is published 30 years after the first public declarations of conscientious objection. It takes stock, describes the solidarity work for the conscientious objection movement from abroad and gives a voice to conscientious objectors, some of whom were active in Turkey for years and have now gone into exile.

A publication to the International Day of Conscientious Objection in a quadrilingual online edition.